Kites

ABSTRACT

A kite which is provided with a ring for connection to control line, said ring being attached to the kite by a pair of transverse strings and a third string incorporating a spring attached to the kite toward the tail thereof.

United States Patent [72] inventor Walter Young 5 Montague Street, Saltord 7, Lancashire,

England e [21] Appl. No. 782,033

[22] Filed Dec. 9, 1968 [45] Patented Aug. 17, 1971 [54] KITES 1 Claim, 2 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 244/153 [51] Int. Cl; B64c 31/06 [50] Field of Search 244/153, 154, 155

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 96,550 11/1869 Clark- 244/153 2,403,212 7/1946 Concepcion 244/153 2,565,365 8/1951 Gould et a1. 244/153 3,161,386 12/1964 Umanofi 244/153 3,296,617 1/1967 Rogallo 244/153 X 3,314,630 4/1967 Lewis, Sr. 244/153 1,166,750 1/1916 Exline 244/153 1,609,569 12/1926 Nakata 244/ 153 3,317,165 5/1967 Zob1,l11 244/155 FOREIGN PATENTS 130,807 5/1902 Germany 244/153 302,569 12/1919 Germany.... 244/154 382,319 12/1920 Germany.... 244/153 1,889 1/1900 Great Britain.... 244/154 569,841 6/1945 Great Britain 244/153 Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-Paul E. Sauberer Attorney-Holman and Stern ABSTRACT: A kite which is provided with a ring for connection to control line, said ring being attached to the kite by a pair of transverse strings and a third string incorporating a spring attached to the kite toward the tail thereof.

PATENIEnAusmsn 3.599 909 sum 1 [JP 2 PATENI ED AUG] 712m 3,599,909

sum 2 ur 2 KITES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION kites.

A disadvantage of previously proposed planar-type kites is that in order to make them fly in a light wind it is necessary to run with the kite on the end of the control line in order to produce sufficient lift. A further disadvantage of such kites'is that they tend to jink and dive when the wind velocity is not constant or when in the hands of an inexperienced operator.

An object of the present invention is to obviate or mitigate the above disadvantages.

According to the present invention, there is provided a kite wherein the point of attachment of thekite to a control line is joined through connection'meansto the kite at three points, two of the points being spaced transversely of the kite, and the third point being located toward the tail of the kite, the connection between the point of attachment and the third point being resiliently extendible so as to enable the kite to adopt an optimum angle of attack for the prevailing conditions.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the underside of a planar kite according to the present invention, and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the top of the kite shown in FIG. 1.

The planar kite comprises a textile material lifting surface 1 having a shape equivalent to the shape of two isosceles triangles of unequal height joined together along their bases. The lifting surface 1 is supported in an extended condition by a U- section longitudinal rib 2 and a U-section transverse rib 3, with the lifting surface 1 being provided with two pairs of hooks 4 and 5 attached to the corners thereof, which pairs of hooks 4 and 5 are treated in tubular ,end portions 6 and 7 of the longitudinal rib 2 and the transverse rib 3, respectively. Thus, the ribs 2 and 3 can be disengaged from the lifting surface 1 to enable the latter to be folded for storage and carwage.

The transverse rib 3 has a pair of eyelets 3a attached thereto, and each eyelet is approximately midway between the crossover of the ribs 2 and 3 and the respective end portion 7.

Through each eyelet 3a in the rib 3 is threaded a string 8 which is then tied to prevent it from being detached from the rib 3. Each string 8 passes through a hole in the lifting surface 1 and is secured at its other end to a ring 9 on the opposite side of the lifting surface 1 from the ribs 2 and 3. The two strings 8 connecting the ring 9 with the lifting surface I serve as stabilizing strings and the ring 9 serves as a point of attachment of the kite to a control line 10.

An extension spring 11 is also attached at one end to the ring 9 and at the other end is attached to one end of a third string 12 whose other end is attached to the longitudinal rib 2 at a point towards the tail of the kite. Thus, the ring 9 is connected to a third point on the lifting surface 1 through the intermediary of a resiliently extendible connection. The third string 12 carries bobbin 13 which by adding or subtracting turns enables a coarse or rough adjustment of the effective length of the third string 12.

A ring 14 is provided on a tape 15 attached to the lifiing surface to enable a conventional stabilizing attachment or tail (not shown) to be removably connected with the lifting surface 1 of the kite.

This invention relates to kites, for example planar-type 5 sewn thereto and further reinforcing strips 17 and 18 are provided longitudinally and transversely, respectively, of the lifting surface 1. The longitudinally extending rib 2 passes between the reinforcing strip 17 and the lifting surface 1 and is thereby retained in position duringoperation of the kite.

In operation, the third string 1 is wound around the bobbin-type adjuster 13 to the desired extent to provide a coarse adjustment for'the approximate wind strength andthe kite is attached by means of the ring 9 to the control line 10. When the kite is released with the control line in tension the force of the wind on the lifting surface 1 of the kite causes the spring 11 to extend in relation to the magnitude of the force and allows the kite to adopt the optimum'angle of attack for the prevailing wind strength and angle of the control line 10 i.e., the height of the kite above the ground.

It has been found that by providing the resiliently extendible connection at the adjustable present control constituted by the adjuster 13, the kite flies more readily, is more stable, and is easier to trim than previously proposed kites.

In a modification, the stabilizing strings are each attached to the transverse rib through the intermediary of a toggle and eyelet connection so that the transverse rib can be completely disengaged from the rest of the kitefor ease of storage and transport. The bobbin-type adjujster is replaced by a hook on the end of the third string which can be engaged with any one of a group of spaced eyelets sewn on to the lifting surface of the kite along the longitudinal axis thereof. A swivel pin replaces the ring and tape as a means for enabling the conventional stabilizing attachment or tail to be attached to the lifting surface of the kite.

It will be appreciated that the spring may be replaced by any other suitably resilient member, such as an elastomeric cord and that any other suitable material, such as cord, wire and ,twine, maybe used in the place of string and for the sake of simplicity any references herein and in the claims to string are to be construed accordingly. Further, the form of the kite is not restricted to that described, the present invention can be applied to kites of any form and construction.

The lifting surface of the kite may be aluminized to enable the kite to be detected by radar. A person employing such a kite could be relatively easily located by radar if he were lost at sea, on a mountain or in the desert, for example.

The kite may alternatively or additionally be provided with a flanking light or lights or a color code to enable a message to be conveyed.

What I claim is:

1. A kite comprising a lifting surface of substantially nonporous material having opposite faces and at least four sides, a longitudinal rib and a transverse rib positioned on one face of the surface detachably connected to the sides at each end thereof to support the surface in an extended condition, means on the transverse rib approximately midway between the crossover of the ribs and the respective end of the transverse rib each receiving a string which is attached at one end to said means to prevent its detachment from the transverse rib, each string passing through an aperture in the lifting surface, a ring spaced from the windward face of the lifting surface to which each string is attached for connecting the ring with the lifting surface and serving as stabilizing strings, a control line attached at one end to the longitudinal rib adjacent the tail of the kite, an extension spring attached at one end to i the ring and at the other end to the free end of the control line, 

1. A kite comprising a lifting surface of substantially nonporous material having opposite faces and at least four sides, a longitudinal rib and a transverse rib positioned on one face of the surface detachably connected to the sides at each end thereof to support the surface in an extended condition, means on the transverse rib approximately midway between the crossover of the ribs and the respective end of the transverse rib each receiving a string which is attached at one end to said means to prevent its detachment from the transverse rib, each string passing through an aperture in the lifting surface, a ring spaced from the windward face of the lifting surface to which each string is attached for connecting the ring with the lifting surface and Serving as stabilizing strings, a control line attached at one end to the longitudinal rib adjacent the tail of the kite, an extension spring attached at one end to the ring and at the other end to the free end of the control line, and means intermediate the ends of the control line for effecting a coarse adjustment of the effective length of the control line. 